In a move that is quite head scratching from every perspective but Marvel’s own (Well and all the articles across the net spinning this) Marvel has announced today that they are dropping their “Buy a physical comic, get the digital version of said comic” plan. In it’s place they are offering “2 or more” digital comics with each physical comic. Yay right?
Sorry, they’re random back issues. (wut)

Yes, Marvel, who had been a front runner in the idea of embracing digital comics while trying to stay loyal to print media has taken a step backwards and dropped one of their major incentives to buy physical comics. Now, instead of getting a digital copy of the comic you bought to accompany it, you get two (or more) randomly picked digital back issues. These back issues change each week, so have no idea what you are getting until the comic is in your hands.

See, we all have pull lists for a reason. We buy the comics we want, what we have an interest in. This move can sabotage that as you now buy the comic you want, and you get possibly 2+ comics you have no interest in at all. Or maybe you get 3 comics you already bought digitally. Or, maybe you have a pull list of 15 Marvel comics, but since each comic released that week now have the same digital issues with them, you get 15 copies of the same comics.

Marvel also says this will “help” local comic shops. They say if you buy a comic and get the first issue of a book you didn’t intend to read, you may read it and then go out and buy the trade at your local shop. Possibly. Also, though, there are many people like me who read primarily digital comics now. Those who now no longer get the digital copies (some admittedly buy physical and resell the codes to offset the now astronomical Marvel prices, but I digress) may just switch to digital entirely.

Honestly, no matter how Marvel spins this (or how the media who is reporting this in articles that sound like paid editorials spin it) the only person who wins is Marvel. The only logical aspect of this is the old “Oh, this stops people from selling their digital copy codes out of the books”. That’s what Marvel wants. I guess we’ll soon see if that’s what the comic community also wants.